Shoes: Fashion vs. Function

Footwear is a fashion statement, and women, in particular, will sacrifice function for fashion even when it can be painful. First there were rigid corsets, bustles packed with horsehair and lice, hobble skirts so walking was almost impossible. Now the fashion must-haves are huge handbags, Spanx®, decorative contact lenses, tight jeans, platforms and extreme Stilettos. On one hand fashion has taken a step backwards, on the other, the footwear industry is progressing forward to fashionable and healthy shoes.

Humans have been protecting their feet since pre-history. But only in the last two decades has mass fashion embraced function, and function embraced fashion. This shift has resulted in affordable comfort-fit footwear which combines comfort with style.

Despite progress by industry, a new study suggests 25% of the shoes Americans own are too uncomfortable to wear*15. High heels are bad for your feet…here’s what you can expect from wearing high heels:

Bunions and Hammer toes

Shortening of the Achilles tendon

Stress fractures and enormous pressure on the ball of the feet

Squeezed toes, eventually turning your feet inward

Also, high heels are bad for your body. . . “A heel that is three inches high creates seven times more stress than a one-inch heel,” reports the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine *16

Choose your shoes wisely

1. Small heel no higher than 1.5 inches 2. Purchase by fit not by size. Make sure there is a ½ inch from your longest toe to the tip of the shoe. 3. Wide toe box helps avoid bunions, hammertoes and corns. 4. Arch support can prevent and relieve foot pain while providing comfort by distributing your weight more evenly. This will result in better posture and more balance and make you less prone to falls or twisted ankles 5. Choose good quality materials like soft leather or mesh so your feet can breathe. 6. Flexibility at the forefoot so the toes can bend. 7. Stretching shoes rarely works – don’t buy them if they’re tight. 8. Shop later in the day – your foot swells as the day goes on.

Flip flops, sandals and ballet flats should be worn only for short periods of time. Without arch support, your heels absorb more pressure when you walk and can aggravate conditions such as plantar fasciitis. Constantly wearing these styles actually change the shape of your feet and can cause the bones in your feet to actually spread out. Because of the lack of support your knees and the muscles in your calves will suffer, and even change your posture placing more stress on your back!

Dress shoes. Remember try to avoid high heels and pointy toe shoes.

Boots. Wear them only if they feel comfortable when you try them on. Don’t buy them if you think you have to break them in.

Since the nomadic hunter-gatherers, footwear has evolved to combine function with fashion: